A Spark in the Dark
by the wise old owl
Summary: Dillon has everything she could want in life - loving parents, three best friends, and great grades in school; everything, that is, except excitement. Days seem to be the same, so bland and boring. Dillon wants some excitement, some adventure. So when the four ninja turn her down, she finds her own way to get on their team. And there's in one in particular that she has fallen for.
1. Chapter 1

_Occurs between episodes five and six, "Can of Worms" and "The Snake King"._

* * *

Dark brown eyes blinked open. A hand reached up to a yellow face to rub away the remaining fatigue. Sitting up, Dillon looked around.

Her room was the same as always. Tiny twin bed with maroon sheets and blankets. Two limp pillows covered with black pillow cases; a small white dresser in the far-right corner. A wooden nightstand on the left side of her bed, an alarm clock and a lamp sitting atop it; a modest closet on the left wall. A small heap of various stuffed animals beside her bed.

Dillon yawned, stretching her arms above her head. Shaking her head to rid the last bit of weariness, she slid off her bed and tucked her dark brown hair behind her ear. Dillon quickly made her bed, tidying up her room, and changed out of her pajamas. She put on a dark gray shirt, blue jeans, and a red hoodie. Keeping the jacket unzipped, Dillon started downstairs.

She was an only child, and lived alone with her parents in a tiny apartment in Ninjago City. Though her father worked a full-time job, and her mother a part-time, they still could only afford a humble home.

Dillon didn't mind the plebeian living quarters. She had grown up in this apartment, and didn't want to ever leave it. She liked things just the way they were, and did _not_ want them to change. Her mother, Dominica, was home before school and after it, and both her parents had the weekends off. They had a small dog (they had no idea what breed or breeds he was) named Rozzo, who always brightened Dillon's day. She had great friends at school, and although she wasn't popular, she didn't need a dozen different friends to feel good about herself.

Although…if she could change anything about her life, it would be to make it more exciting. Every morning, Dillon watched the news, and she wished that something eventful like what she saw on TV would happen to her. Yes, she didn't want her parents murdered, or their building burning down, but still. If something _cool_ would occur, her life would be perfect.

"Hi, sweetie," said Dillon's mother as the teenager walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, Mom," Dillon responded, sitting down at their tiny wooden table.

"I made pancakes. Your favorite." Dominica told her daughter, placing a few of the still-steaming breakfast cakes onto a plate before Dillon.

"Thanks!" Dillon said gratefully, and poured buttermilk syrup onto her food. Picking up the remote, Dillon switched on the TV, turning on the news channel. Her mom sat down beside her, and the two ate in comfortable silence as they watched the morning reports. When Dillon finished, she rinsed off her plate and put it in the dishwasher. She walked over to door and hoisted her backpack onto her shoulders.

"I'll see you after school, Mom!" She hollered.

"I'll see you, honey! Have a good day! Oh, and don't forget – I have to work two shifts today, so I won't be home when school gets out. You'll be okay by yourself for a few hours?"

"Yep, I'll be fine!" Dillon replied, bending down as a mottled gray, brown, and black puppy scampered over to her. She rubbed the young dog's head and stroked his spine.

"I'll be back soon, Rozzo. Don't get into trouble while I'm gone." She told the pup with a smile. He grinned back toothily, his tongue hanging out of his mouth and his tail wagging.

Standing back up straight, Dillon walked out the door and took the elevator to the bottom level. She walked outside and started towards the school.

* * *

 _Hey, readers! This is my first Ninjago fanfic, so bear with me. Hope the beginning isn't too slow - I know that I don't like reading slug-like beginnings, but I just want to lay out the basics of Dillon's life. Things will speed up soon, don't worry! Anyways, just enjoy, and tell me if you see any mistakes or if I did something wrong. I really do enjoy feedback! Thanks, and have a GREAT day!_ :)


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, Dillon, do you want to walk home with us? We're stopping by the park on the way," asked Katherine. "Kyle and his friends are going to be there."

"No, thanks. I have a bunch of homework I want to get done ASAP," Dillon responded to her friend.

"Okay," Katherine said with a shrug. She whipped her blonde hair out of her face, and she turned to Chiyo and Jenny. Dillon watched as her three best friends walked away, watching their pink, white, and purple backpacks slowly fade into the crowd of people.

Dillon shook her head and started on her way back to her apartment. As she was crossing a street, she looked up at the sky. Dark clouds were forming, and she heard thunder rumble from a far off.

 _There's a storm coming,_ she thought. She knew that her friend Jenny would be looking up at the clouds and gasping, exclaiming stuff about bad omens. Her black-haired friend was very superstitious, but Dillon didn't believe in all that stuff. She liked facts, things that could be proven. _Then_ she could have faith in something.

* * *

The day had continued to get darker, and light raindrops fell occasionally. Knowing that the weather would only worsen, Dillon decided to take a short-cut. She took a back road, and then ducked into an alley. Ninjago was full of alleys, but this one seemed darker than most.

Dillon shook her head. "It's just your imagination," she told herself quietly. "All you have to do is climb the fence, then cross a couple of streets and you're home. No big deal."

She heard something clatter behind her, and she whipped around, her heart beating fast.

A small black rat looked up at her, a piece of garbage clutched in its jaws, before scurrying away into the shadows.

Dillon sighed, and felt her heart rate slowly begin returning back to normal.

"See?" She said aloud, turning back around. "There's nothing to be afraid of-"

Suddenly, the manhole cover in front of her flew up into the air. Dillon jumped back, pressing herself against a wall. She screamed when she saw what appeared out of the sewer.

A tall figure, with green scaly skin, emerged from the hole. It blinked open four venomous, yellow eyes, and a large frill surrounded its head. The creature looked her way and hissed, a forked tongue sliding in and out of its mouth.

Dillon stood frozen with shock as the monster started towards her. Just as she was about to open her mouth to call for help, a red flash came hurtling out of the sewers. The green thing turned around to face the red blur, and Dillon watched as it landed before the creature. Dillon saw that it was a person, and he faced off with the venom-colored figure. Blows started flying from both opponents, but a few moments later, the beast scrambled back into the manhole, pulling the cover back into place as it slithered away.

Dillon scrambled back to her feet, adjusting her backpack.

"What was that thing? Who are you?" Dillon asked, slightly shaken from the whole ordeal.

The young man in red walked over to her, and she looked him up and down. A golden sword was resting behind his back, and Dillon took a nervous step backwards.

" _That_ was a Serpentine. A Venomari, to be exact. You'll want to be careful around them – if they spit venom into your eyes, you'll be seeing some _crazy_ things. Trust me, I know." The person in the red – was that a _ninja suit?!_ – stopped a few feet away from her. Reaching a hand up, he pulled off the mask covering his face. "And I'm Kai."

The stranger looked to be about her age. He had wild, dark brown hair that seemed uncontrollable. A scar that cut through his left eyebrow, ending beneath his eye in two sharp points. He was smirking, and the way he held himself told Dillon that he was confident, and possibly a little egotistic. Gold armor lined his shoulders, and dark maroon padding covered his chest and arms that was highlighted with gold.

"Wait, a Serpentine? Those are real? I thought they were just scary stories for little kids." Dillon asked after she had fully assessed the stranger.

"Yep. I didn't believe it at first, either, until a little brat I know released them from their tombs," Kai agreed.

"Well, no matter what it was, I could have taken care of myself. I didn't need _you_ to come marching in." Dillon said defiantly, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Marching in? I'm pretty sure I just saved your life," Kai said, raising an eyebrow.

"I had everything under control. There was a pipe right next to me that I could have used, and –"

"Sorry, but I recall you being frozen with fear, and shivering like a little baby. And I'm _pretty sure_ that I heard you scream at least once." Kai noted.

Before Dillon could say anything else, however, shouts and voices could be heard from the other side of the alley. Then, suddenly, three more people leapt down from the rooftop opposite of Dillon.

"There you are, Kai," said one dressed in blue and silver. "We were wondering where you were."

"Yeah, seriously. How many times do I have to tell you not to wander away from the team? You can't just go do whatever you want, wherever you want, whenever you want," scolded another in black.

"Cole has a point, Kai. The team must be unified if we all are to reach our true potentials, like Sensei said." The last one, in white, commented. Turning his attention away from Kai, he asked, "Who is this?"

Dillon realized that they were staring at her, and she shuffled her feet.

"I just saved her from being attacked by a Venomari, who I was chasing down. I saw him heading towards the surface, so I trailed him, which was the reason I was gone, _Cole_ ," said Kai, giving a pointed look at the one in black.

"Woah, and she didn't run away screaming? Like all the other civilians? That's a first," the one in blue said, raising an eyebrow that seemed to be cut in two.

"Yeah, well, I can take care of myself, thanks," Dillon said coldly, surprising herself when she spoke up.

"Oh, she speaks!" Exclaimed the one Dillon thought was Cole.

"Yes. Unless she was a mute, she of course would have been able to use her voice." The white ninja looked confused. Cole rolled his eyes, and the blue person facepalmed.

"Um, so…are you guys ninjas or something?" Dillon asked.

"Um, yeah! We're Spinjitsu masters! …in training. I'm Jay, this is Cole, the non-humorous one is Zane, and the angry-looking one is Kai." The blue-dressed teen pointed to himself, then gestured to the black ninja, the white ninja, and finally to Kai.

Dillon honestly didn't think that Kai looked _that_ angry, until he scowled as Jay dubbed him as such.

"Well, we should be going. Serpentine to fight, and all. Glad Kai was here to save you, I guess," Cole said to Dillon.

"You guess? What's wrong with me saving somebody? Hello, I'm the best ninja around! Just you wait – _I'll_ be the one to become the green ninja," Kai countered.

"See? I told you he had a temper," Jay whispered out of the corner of his mouth to Dillon.

"I do not!" Kai glared at Jay, who looked away, whistling innocently.

"Look, guys, we really need to get on our way. Sensei will be wondering where we are, and –"

"Wait!" Dillon said as they began to walk away. "I - I want to come with you."

Cole turned around, looking shocked.

"Uh, say what now?" He asked her.

"I want to come. My life is so dull and boring…being a ninja would be sweet! It would totally spice things up for me!"

"Sorry, kiddo, but we don't just take random strangers to our monastery to learn Spinjitzu. If anybody would recruit anybody, it would be Master Wu. And no offense, girly, but our team is full right now, and I doubt Sensei will be wanting you around to just drag us down."

Dillon felt her face heat up, and she clenched her fists as Jay began oohing in the background. "Oh, snap!" She heard him whisper.

"Woah, Cole, isn't that a little harsh?" Kai asked, stepping forward.

"Yes. I must agree with Kai. That bordered on the line of rude and mean." Zane stated.

"Look, I'm sorry, but we have places to be. Come on, guys." Cole turned around and started walking away.

Jay shrugged helplessly before trailing after, soon followed by Zane, and then a hesitant Kai.

Dillon sighed as she watched them sprint away, and suddenly the heavens opened up, dumping its wet contents onto Ninjago.

A chance to change her life had been sent her way, and she had blown it.

* * *

 _Well, that was considerably longer than chapter one. Hopefully you all are enjoying this story. Remember, feel free to comment if you have any suggestions, or if I have made any mistakes. I love your guys' feedback! You are so nice, and brighten my day! Your reviews improve my writing, so keep them coming! Have a great day, and stay tuned for the next chapter!_


	3. Chapter 3

Dillon trudged through the rain, her head down. Had her hair not been in a high ponytail, it would have concealed her crestfallen face. She blew her dripping bangs out of her eyes and sighed.

 _I was so close…At least I got a tiny bit of excitement, even though it only lasted for a moment or two. Stupid Cole…I could_ totally _be a ninja if I was trained properly. I'll show him. One day, I'll be the greatest ninja of all! What was it that Kai had said? Something about a green ninja? Are they like the best or something? Maybe_ I'll _be the green ninja! Now THAT would be awesome!_

Suddenly, Dillon's head whipped up. She looked around, but saw no one. No cars were on the streets, no people were walking about, no stray animals were wandering the yards. Everything was silent.

Too silent.

Dillon furrowed her brows. Her eyes scanned her surroundings for any signs of life. A shadow behind a store caught her attention as it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Taking a few steps forward, Dillon slowly advanced towards where she had seen the apparition.

Grabbing the corner of the building in her hands, she peered around the wall.

Darkness.

 _Huh. Maybe it was just my imaginati –_

Suddenly, something in the far corner shifted. Dillon quickly hid back behind the wall trying to keep her breathing even so that whoever – or _what_ ever – it was wouldn't hear her. Hearing footsteps approaching, she looked wildly around for a hiding place.

 _There._

Spotting an abandoned cardboard box on the side of the street, Dillon dove under it. Peering through the handle hole, Dillon watched with raised brows and wide eyes as a Serpentine emerged from the shadows. This time, it was red and white, with two heads that had sharp fangs glinting in the dim light.

 _Woah. Now_ that _is a snake,_ Dillon thought as she watched head beneath the city, just like the Venomari that she had encountered.

 _Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!_ She thought, her mind whirling. _If I could follow this snake dude to the Serpentine layer, then Cole would see how good I am and take to me to his sensei! Great plan, Dillon. You're a genius!_

With those thoughts running through her brain, Dillon leapt from beneath the soggy box and slipped through the hole underground. Luckily, the two-headed monster had left the cover off the manhole, so Dillon jumped right in. Unfortunately, the drop was a bit longer than she had expected, and she landed heavily on her butt.

Standing back up and rubbing her rear gently, Dillon started down the dark tunnel. She felt her hands along the walls, using them to guide herself through the emptiness. The faint sound of footsteps ahead of her kept her going, and encouraged her to press forward, along with her determination to prove herself.

 _Kai - I think - somewhat believes in me. Maybe. Okay, I'm not sure, but hopefully. Zane – that was his name, right? –_ She paused for a second. _…Yeah, I have no idea what that guy was thinking. Jay - he's … something else, I'll tell you that. I think that he might think that I might be able to, if I had enough training. And there's Cole. Obviously he has no faith in me whatsoever. Ha, I'll show him. Just you wait, Cole. When I –_

All of a sudden, light filled the tunnel. Panicking slightly, Dillon spotted a large rock and squatted behind it.

 _Oh, no, did they find me? How? Maybe they have super senses. Like, one head smells really good, and the other hears really good, and they both bite REALLY HARD._

Nervously, she peeked around the small boulder. What she saw made her gasp, and she quickly covered her mouth with her hands.

Before her, just a few feet down the tunnel, was a massive cavern. Filling the giant room were hundreds of snakes. Masses of red, blue, green, and gray. Gatherings of white, gold, yellow, and orange. Dillon looked at the different kinds of serpents, and she shivered. She remembered when she was younger her mother telling her the stories of the different races of snakes.

The Fangpyre, whose bite could turn whatever their fangs pierced into a serpent. The Hypnobrai, who could control anyone who made eye-contact with them. The Venomari, whose venom could make a victim hallucinate. The Constrictai, who, once they got a hold of their enemy, could squeeze the life out of them.

Now, which snake was from which tribe, Dillon could only guess. But that didn't matter to her right now. Right now, she needed to eavesdrop on the Serpentines' most-likely evil plans, escape unnoticed, and somehow track down the ninja and tell them what she knew. And then they would see how great she was, and that she was a valuable asset.

 _Easy as pie,_ she thought. Taking a deep breath, Dillon looked around for another place to hide. She located another rock in the shadows to her left, and she slowly, carefully, made her way over. She clung to the wall, keeping to the shadows, and stayed down low. Luckily, no snakes noticed her.

 _See? I got this._

She repeated the process a few more times, making her way over to a group of five humongous snakes gathered in a circle. They were different from the other reptiles she had seen so far – these ones had long, slithering tails, and held golden staffs in the hands. Dillon spotted one of each tribe, and noticed that one was different from the rest. He had a long neck, with two giant fangs jutting out from his jaws. He was the biggest by far, towering over the rest, and had royal purple scales. The way he snapped at the others told Dillon that he was probably the one in charge of them all. Not to mention a little rude and impatient.

She was just out of earshot. If she could just move a little closer…

Dillon crept towards a crevice in the wall that was a few feet away from the five leaders.

 _One more step…_ she thought.

"We need a better place to gather than the sewersss," hissed the blue snake in complaint.

"Not to menssssion that -" "The tribesss aren't uniting," said the two-headed Serpentine, the heads taking turns as they talked.

"Yes, I know. Don't you boys worry. I have almost located the -" Suddenly, the huge purple snake stopped talking abruptly. "Ah, I see we have an uninvited guest. How very brave and very foolish of you, young Ninjago citizen." Dillon looked up and saw the largest snake looking straight at her. "Seize her!" The violet Serpentine ordered.

All the snakes stopped what they were doing and started towards Dillon once they heard their leader's command. They stopped their talking and hissed threateningly, bearing their gleaming white teeth.

"Uh oh," she said with a gulp as she was quickly pressed against the wall and surrounded by snakes.

"Ssso, you thought you could spy on us, eh? Next time, miss, you'll want to just stay home and read a book like a good little girl," the purple snake hissed, showing her a menacing smile. "Tie her up!"

"But Pythor," started the blue leader. "Sssshe's just a civilian. Couldn't we jusssst let her go?"

"'Let her go?' She's one of the thousands that locked us up underground! It is her kind that we are releasing the Great Devourer on! Not to mention that the silly ninja will come running to her aid once they found out that we have a hostage. Think, for once, Skales!" With that, Pythor thwacked the blue snake on the back of his head with his staff.

"Ow!" Dillon heard Skales mutter as he rubbed the back of his skull and glared defiantly at Pythor.

"Now, as I was saying," Pythor said with a roll of his magenta eyes. "Get that girl!"

Dillon's eyes grew wide as she watched the Serpentine slowly close in.


	4. Chapter 4

Dillon blinked her eyes open. The world spun for a moment before everything came into focus.

"Where…where am I?" She muttered to herself. Her head was pounding, and she was struggling to remember what had happened.

She recalled Pythor's evil laughter as the snakes had descended on her. The snakes had closed in, and she remembered panic welling up in her chest, her breathing accelerating rapidly. Then, a gray and orange Serpentine had stepped forward, raised a club, and that was the last thing that she could remember.

Dillon squeezed her eyes shut, trying to mentally push away the pain in her head. After taking a few deep breaths, she opened her eyes back up and looked around.

Ropes tied her arms to her sides, as well as binded her feet together. She was dangling from a large tree branch over a sea of burbling, green goo, her body hanging horizontally. The smell was awful, and was probably what had woke her up, and it was definitely NOT helping her headache.

"Um, hello?" She called out, looking around the smelly bog. "Anybody there?"

No answer.

"Stupid snakes. When I get out of here, I swear, I'll -"

"And you're sssssure that this plan with work?"

Dillon quickly snapped her mouth shut as she recognized the slithery voice of Skales. She could barely make it out, and found that the sound was coming from a cave on the island the tree she was tied to was on.

"Of course I'm sure," replied Pythor. "The ninja are too predictable. Once they catch word that we Serpentine have a helpless Ninjago citizzen in our clutches, they'll come running in to the rescue. Then, we can capture them once and for all. After that, nothing will stand in our way of releasing the Great Devourer!"

"But they have evaded usss before. Are you sssertain that they won't ssslip away again?" Came a deep voice that Dillon linked to the short black and orange leader.

"Yesss, but we have our own secret weaponss. Trust me. The ninja will not get away from this encounter unscathed."

Dillon gulped. She had to get out of here fast. She wriggled and squirmed, trying to loosen the knots, but to no avail. She gave up after a few moments, wanting to conserve her energy, and formulated a hasty plan. It wasn't the best in the world, but it was all she could come up with for the moment.

"Hey, snakes!" She hollered. "I bet the ninja will kick your tails when they get here! Yeah, they've got their own secret weapons!" Dillon bluffed. "Oh, and by the way, I totally overheard your entire plan!"

Maybe if she was annoying enough, they would let her go. It was a worth a shot, and it was the only plan she had right now.

"Yeah, I TOTALLY know ALL of your secrets!" She gloated. "And once the ninja come and whoop your butts, they'll know your next move, thanks to your guys's loud mouths!"

Next, it was time for the second phase of her plan. Using something she had heard the snakes mention before, she hollered, "Hey, Skales – you sound like a wimp! 'Oh, look at me! I'm sssssso amazzzzzing! I took over my previousssss general jusssst to be ordered around by a ssstupid guy in purple!'

"And Fangtom! I bet your brain is only half as big as the rest of ours, between those two heads of yours! Was it split in two, or fourths? And where'd the extra slices go? Down a drain? And don't even get me started on your teeth! You should really consider getting braces!"

She heard enraged hisses come from the cave, and she continued.

"Hey, blackie! Yeah, you with the big tail! Are you fat, or just short? Cause I honestly can't tell! OR maybe you're BOTH! And you call yourself a general! What dignified leader is shorter than the people under his command? Do you have to look up to them when you order them around? I bet they REALLY respect you!"

An angered roar gave her the satisfaction to keep going.

"And Mr. Green! What's your name? And is your four eyes distracting? I bet that snakes are too preoccupied looking at your millions of eyeballs to even pay attention to what you're saying! Talk about leadership! And your voice! Ugh, it's like nails on a chalkboard! How old are you? Ninety-six? I'm sure everyone else takes you very seriously when you can have a stroke at any second! Talk about time to retire!

"Don't even get me started on Pythor! What tribe are you from? The _Giraffe_ -drai? And your scales! They're purple, for goodness' sakes! I can't tell if you're supposed to be a male, or a female, especially with that high-pitched scream of yours. Seriously, do enlighten me of your gender! I need a little help here!

"Not to mention that you're SUPER RUDE to the rest of the Serpentine. Why do they even listen to you? You're annoying, needy, bossy, and we can't tell if you're a boy or a girl!"

She smiled when she heard a frustrated scream come from inside the cave. _Ha ha. Get roasted, you dumb overgrown lizards_.

* * *

Dillon let out a muffled sigh. Unfortunately, her plan had not gone as expected. In fact, it had backfired. The infuriated snakes had retaliated to her irritating remarks by shoving a gag in her mouth.

So much for that plan.

 _Come on, ninja. Get me out of here. I could REALLY use your help right about now,_ she thought.

 _But what about the trap? If the ninja_ do _show up, I can't warn them that it's a trap. Argh, me and big mouth. And just what exactly_ does _Pythor have planned? Man, I hate him and those purple scales of his!_

By now, she was starting to lose feeling in her hands and feet, her headache was NOT going away anytime soon, and the stench was starting to make things particularly awful. Not to mention that she was trying not to gag with the rag shoved nearly down her throat.

She sighed again.

 _Well, at least I'm not home bored out of my mind._

That was about the only positive thing she could come up with about her predicament.

* * *

 _Sorry for such the short chapters, guys. My mind has been going blank every time I sit down at the computer. Writer's block has been killing me these past few days._

 _Well, things are starting to pick up. Tell me what you guys think so far, and if I have made any mistakes, whether it be grammar or something I got wrong concerning_ Ninjago _(such as incorrect facts, etc.). Thanks again for the kind reviews, and keep watch for the next chapter!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Bored. Out of my mind. Come ON ninja, where are you?_ Thought Dillon as she stared down at the swampy, green lake beneath her. She didn't know how long it had been – at least eight hours, she thought. Okay, maybe not _eight_ , but still. A very, _very_ , _VERY_ long time. And the Serpentine had been smart enough to move farther into the cave where she couldn't overhear their plans – whether that was a result of her earlier bluffs or not (or if they didn't believe them anyways), Dillon didn't know nor care, seeing as how she was trying not to just die of boredom.

She first tried to chase away the boredom by trying to envision a chess board in her mind, but once white had gotten close to stealing black's knight and placing their king in check, her brain had started to hurt from keeping track of each piece, and she gave up. Then she had tried counting how many trees she saw around her, but after she had counted them all, she had quit. Next, she had moved on to trying to think up good jokes or riddles. Unfortunately, she was more of the type who was great at listening to other people's rather than coming up with her own. A few more tricks her mother had taught her to chase away boredom, and she was sucked dry of all mind games (or whatever you would want to call it).

She looked down at the steaming substance below her. Since she had nothing else to do, she counted all the bubbles that popped in the green lake and kept record of which bubble's splatter went highest or the farthest out.

As she was replacing the record for the highest spray of bubble matter, a movement to her left caught the corner of her eye. She turned her head, but only saw the glimpse of a shadow before it swiftly disappeared.

Her brows furrowed slightly, she strained her eyes, peering at the spot where she had seen the umbrage flash.

Suddenly, she felt weight pressing down on her back. Her head whipped around and she saw a person garbed in black standing atop her.

"You, seriously?!" Exclaimed Cole just as Dillon was thinking the same exact thing.

"Aw, great. The person we're risking our lives to rescue is _you_ , of ALL people. Seriously, there are _hundreds_ of people in Ninjago. Why you?" Cole wondered aloud.

 _Um, I'm sitting RIGHT HERE,_ she thought. _And trust me,_ I _don't like_ you, _either._

But even as she was thinking those thoughts, she struggled desperately and tried to talk around the gag.

"What? Would you rather Zane come rescue you, or what? Look, I'd rather he do it, as well, but you're stuck with me, pal," Cole told her.

Dillon rolled her eyes. _Seriously? Is he ALWAYS like this?_ She pushed at the rag with her tongue, trying to force it at of her mouth. After that didn't work, she attempted once again to talk to Cole.

 _Look, you have to get out of here! It's a trap!_ She tried to say, but it came out as, "Mmmrg murph nnnn hrrr!"

"Okay, yeah, yeah. Pull us up, guys!" Cole dismissed her anxious muffled speak as he hollered up to his teammates.

Looking past Cole, Dillon saw Jay, Zane, and Kai perched atop the branch she was dangling from. She watched as Zane undid the knot and all three of them hoisted her and the black ninja up to the branch.

They cut the ropes around her arms and legs, and finally, at last, Zane slit the rope holding the rag in her mouth with one of his shuriken.

"You guys have to get out of here! It's a trap!" She blurted as soon as the white ninja pulled the soggy cloth out of her mouth.

"A trap? Ha, I'd like to see those brainless worms try and catch us," Kai scoffed, hitting one fist into the other hand.

"Oh my gosh, really?" Jay asked, looking around worriedly.

"Um, yes, 'really'. We need to leave – like, now!" Dillon ushered.

"Excuse me, kiddo, but _I'm_ the leader here. The only one who makes calls around here is _me_ ," Cole said firmly, frowning slightly.

"Look, I wouldn't care if you were the king of Ninjago – we need to get out of here before Pythor and the -"

"Before Pythor and the Serpentine find out the brave ninja have come to save the day? Oops, too late. We know." Everyone turned to look as serpents emerged from the dark cave below. Pythor was grinning evilly, while the others looked quite pleased with themselves.

Pythor let out a laugh as the four ninja got into their battle stances.

"Oh, you think you can beat _us?_ " Pythor asked mockingly.

"Actually, I was about to ask you the same question!" Kai countered as he leapt down from the tree, sticking one leg out as he aimed to hit the purple Anacondrai with a kick.

Dillon seemed to watch it in slow motion. Kai was just a few feet away from Pythor, flying through the air, when, suddenly, Kai looked up. Dillon followed his gaze, and saw a net falling down from the sky. It landed atop the red ninja and pinned him to the ground. It all happened in a matter of seconds.

"Kai!" Jay shouted as a blow dart suddenly whizzed towards the downed ninja. It struck him just below the right shoulder blade. Kai growled in anger as the small dart hit him, but a second later, his eyes closed and his tense muscles went limp.

Pythor laughed as Kai went unconscious, and Zane pulled out his shuriken.

"My turn," said the ninja of ice, and he hurled one of the golden weapons down at the Anacondrai. Pythor's laughed was cut off he and slithered out of the way with a small yelp.

Sensing the snake's let-down guard, Zane slid down the tree and darted over to the Venomari leader. He ripped the green serpent's staff out of his hands and swung it towards Pythor. However, just before the staff collided with Pythor's head, another dart flew out of nowhere and landed in Zane's left arm. As soon as the tiny arrow pricked the white ninja, his arm went lax, and the staff fell to the ground.

Zane looked down at the small weapon imbedded in his skin with an unreadable expression. And then, without warning, he fell to the ground, his eyes closed.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! They've got Kai! And Zane! Now what?!" Jay said hysterically.

"Now they've crossed the line. It's time to show them who's boss," Cole responded, his face showing his anger as he looked down at his downed friends.

"But they have BLOW DARTS!" Jay shouted as Cole pulled out his scythe. The ninja of earth ignored his panic-stricken teammate and leaped down from the tree.

He landed with a huge thud, and the ground below trembled and shook. All the Serpentine wobbled at the sudden earthquake, and with a stamp of his right foot, rocks sprouted from the ground and sent some of the snakes flying. Swiftly, Cole charged towards the five leaders, swinging his golden weapon high above his head.

"Cole, look out!" Dillon screamed as she saw a tiny dart flying towards Cole. Jay spotted it as well, and he leapt from the branch.

"Ninja…GO!" Dillon heard him cry, and suddenly Jay became a whirling tornado of blue. He intercepted the bullet mid-air, and Dillon watched it go flying off towards Skales, who moved out of the way just in the nick of time.

Jay landed besides Cole, and the two put their backs together. Jay pulled out sparking nunchucks, which were giving off fizzes of blue lightning.

Dillon watched in amazement as the two started battling the dozens of Serpentine warriors. As she was watching the two in combat, she suddenly realized where she was, and she nearly had a heart attack.

 _Oh my gosh. I'm in a tree. A very TALL tree!_ She had been afraid of heights all her life, and instead of the ropes to hold her steady, all she had were her hands and feet. With a small yelp of fear, she latched on to the trunk, wrapping both her arms and legs around the plant.

"Um, help?" She squeaked, but was too quiet for anyone to hear over the clang of weapons and battle cries. Not to mention that Jay and Cole were too occupied at the moment to help her anyways.

"Okay, you got this, Dillon. Just…carefully…make your way…down the tree…" She talked to herself to keep her mind off the fact that she was climbing down a very large tree as she slowly inched her way towards the ground.

Finally, with a huge sigh, she made it to the ground.

Looking around, she saw that Jay and Cole were close to being overpowered. As her eyes widened in fear, she saw the blow dart heading towards the two encircled ninja.

Without thinking, Dillon sprinted towards the ninja. She jumped up, and felt the minute bullet prick her just below her rib cage.

"Hey, Cole! The girl!" She heard Jay shout as she fell with a thump to the ground. The sound of metal on metal, a squeal, and then hurried footsteps were the last things she remembered before everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6

**Cole's POV**

Cole huffed as he shoved a Hypnobrai warrior away, barely avoiding getting hypnotized. As a Constrictai stepped forward to take the blue snake's place, Cole heard Jay exclaim, "Hey, Cole! The girl!"

Briefly looking up from his battle, Cole watched Dillon thump onto the ground, a small tuft poking out from her torso.

 _She took a dart for us!_ He thought incredulously. With that, he swiftly thwacked his scythe into the Contrictai's head and ran over to the fallen girl as the foot soldier took off squealing in pain.

"Jay! Give Nya our coordinates!" Cole ordered as he hefted the unconscious Dillon onto his shoulders.

"Hey, uh, Nya? You there? We're at the Toxic Bogs, and we could _really_ use some help here!" Jay said into his communicator, following Cole's orders. His only reply was static before dead silence. "Great! Now what? Kai and Zane are unconscious, as well as that girl; we're completely surrounded; and we have no way to escape! Just _great_!"

"Can it, Jay! This is _not_ a time to be panicking!" Cole was finding it particularly difficult to fight with his arms full with a sleeping person. Not to mention that he and Jay had moved over to where Kai was pinned under the net, so he was trying not to trip over the ninja of fire.

Cole was also starting to get _very_ TIRED of Pythor's laugh, which was currently ringing through ears his over the threatening hisses of the other serpents.

Just as Cole was beginning to think that this might be the end of the line, a sudden wind swept over the bog. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up. What Cole saw filled him with both relief and irritation.

"Look! It's the Samurai! We're saved!" Jay shouted, his voice thick with relief.

 _True, but did it have to be_ him _that saved us? Why not someone else, like Nya or something?_ Cole thought as all the Serpentine recognized the giant mech and fled.

As the Samurai landed, Pythor looked over his shoulder and hissed, "Thisss isn't over yet, ninja," before slithering away with the rest of his kind.

Cole turned his attention back to his team. The Samurai had removed the net off of Kai and had dumped Zane next to him.

"Hey, careful!" Cole snapped at the stranger.

"Wow, anyone else getting a sense of déjà vu?" Asked Jay with a nervous laugh. "Except, this time, please don't spray us with that gas of yours. Last time, it left me just a little light-headed," he added.

Without saying a word, the Samurai took back to the air, leaving Cole and Jay coughing as the fire boosters sent dust, dirt, and other debris flying.

"Wait! Can't you give us a lift or something?!" Jay frantically waved his arms and jumped up and down, but to no avail; the Samurai flew off, leaving Cole with three unconscious bodies and a hysterical Jay.

As Cole was about to suggest they find a way to revive the others, a bright light suddenly blared down from above and onto the ninja.

"Yes, Nya! I knew you'd find us!" But before Jay could say anything else, a giant anchor launched towards the ground, and he jumped out of the way with a surprised and fearful yelp.

"Finally! What took you guys so long?" Cole asked as Nya slid down the steel chains.

"Yeah, but next time, watch where you drop that thing!" Jay blurted, pointing at the anchor.

"Sorry, Jay. But anyways, we were having trouble contacting you, so I had to use our back-up trackers to find you four," Nya explained. "Who's that?" She asked as she saw the cargo Cole was toting.

"Oh. This is the girl we were saving. Apparently, Pythor was using her as bait to lure us into a trap. We would have been captured had she not taken one of the darts for us," Cole replied.

"Yeah! The dart would have hit me, and then Cole would have been completely overpowered!" Jay piped up.

"Um, I was thinking it would have been the other way around. I can fight just fine solo. It was _you_ who would have been lost without me."

Nya stepped forward just as Jay was opening his mouth for a retort.

"Okay, boys, enough. Let's get Kai and Zane loaded onto the _Bounty_ and get out of here before the Serpentine return," she said, struggling to lift up her brother. "Urgh, has he _always_ been this heavy?"

"Nah, he ate like fifty puffy pot stickers before this," Jay explained, helping Nya. Cole walked over to Zane and hefted him up onto his free shoulder. Slightly weighed down, he said, "Okay. Let's get out of here."

* * *

 **Dillon's POV**

Dillon slowly blinked her eyes open. The first thing she noticed was that her headache had increased tenfold. She moaned in pain, reaching a hand up to her head. As she did so, she saw that she was laying down in a twin bed. The room she was in was decent-sized, containing a dresser and a nightstand. The space was a whole lot bigger than hers back home.

She sat up and sucked in her breath as the movement made her head hurt worse.

"Oh, great, you're up."

Dillon yelped and rolled off the bed, landing with a thud on the wooden floor.

"Oh, sorry, didn't mean to scare you." The person she had seen in the left corner stood up from where they were sitting on a stool and walked over to stand over Dillon. The stranger reached down a hand, and after a moment's hesitation, Dillon took it tentatively. The person pulled her to her feet and set the blanket back onto the bed (it had followed Dillon to the ground when she had leapt back in fright).

"I'm Nya," said the stranger, once again offering a hand.

Dillon took it and gave it a small shake. "Where am I?" Dillon asked.

"Aboard the _Destiny's Bounty_. And your head must hurt – the boys' were pounding as well," Nya said. "Come with me."

Dillon followed the red-robed stranger out the room and into a hallway. As Nya led the way, Dillon asked, "Who are you?"

"I assume you don't mean my name, seeing as how I already introduced myself," Nya guessed, and Dillon gave a short nod. "I'm Kai's sister – Kai's the spiky-haired, short-tempered one in red."

"Yeah, I know him. He saved me from a Venomari earlier today. It was the first time I met the ninja," Dillon responded.

"'Today'? It's been five days since your first encounter with the team. You met them in the alley on Thursday, they found you in the Toxic Bogs on Saturday, and today's Monday – you slept all through Sunday."

"FIVE DAYS?!" Dillon exclaimed loudly, stopping in her tracks. _Oh my gosh! Mom and Dad must be so worried!_ "And hey – how do you know about Thursday in the alley?" She asked suspiciously.

"Sensei had them tell us everything they knew about you, so we got their sides of the story. After I get you some medicine for your head, Sensei wants to hear your point of view."

"'Sensei'?" Dillon asked as she resumed walking.

"Sensei Wu. He's our teacher, our master – our sensei. He's the son of the first Spinjitzu Master and brother of Lord Garmadon," Nya explained. "Ope, here we are. Wait right here."

Nya walked into a room and came out a few moments later. She held out a tiny tea cup to Dillon that was filled with a green liquid.

"Oh, I don't drink tea," Dillon told Nya, taking a small step back.

"No, this is your medicine," Nya replied.

"Oh. I thought…well, I assumed it would be…like, painkiller pills or something."

"Nah, Sensei likes to do this the more natural way. Anyways, drink up – and I swear it's not tea; just herbs."

Hesitantly, Dillon took the cup and sipped some of its contents. She quickly removed the cup from her lips and coughed, gagging slightly.

"Sorry. It doesn't have the _greatest_ taste in the world."

"No kidding," Dillon choked out between coughs. Although, she could already feel the pain in her head starting to fade.

Bracing herself, she quickly gulped the rest in one big swallow, trying to force the bitter drink down as fast as possible so she wouldn't be able to taste it.

"Thanks," Dillon said gratefully as Nya returned the cup. "My head feels much better already. This stuff works fast!"

"No problem. Now follow me to the bridge and~…"

Dillon stepped into a large room behind Nya, and she looked around in awe. The first thing she saw was the giant screen that covered most of the far wall. A table stood in the center of the room, with a steering wheel facing a large window. Dillon also saw a periscope and several other gadgets and knickknacks.

Nya smiled at Dillon's amazement.

"I know. It's pretty awesome," Nya said.

As Dillon nodded in agreement, she noticed that the four ninja were in the room, along with a bearded old man dressed in white. And they were all staring right at her.

"Um, hey," she said with a small wave and a nervous smile.

"Ah. You must Dillon. Welcome to the _Destiny's Bounty_." The bearded man started towards her, walking with a wooden staff. "I am Sensei Wu. It is a pleasure to have you aboard."

"'Aboard'?" Dillon asked, and just then the ground wobbled.

"Slight wind turbulence. Nothing to worry about," Nya told everyone.

"'Wind'?" Dillon was starting to get a sick feeling in her stomach.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. The _Bounty_ is a ship," said Nya.

"Oh, phew! For a second there I thought we were aboard a plane," Dillon said just as Nya added, "A _flying_ ship."

With those words ringing through her ears, Dillon blinked once, twice, and watched the floor rush towards her before everything went black.


	7. Chapter 7 and Notice

**Sorry for such the long wait! Seriously, I am SO sorry! My family went camping, and then I had Trek, and a whole bunch of other things came up, and I had absolutely no time to write. Thankfully, I brought a notebook to all my summer activities, so I have a few chapters that I just need to copy onto the computer and post them here. Again, super sorry for the long wait! Another thing - I will be going back and updating previous chapters (fixing grammar/punctuation/etc., adding more details, etc). You may or may not want to go back and reread things. Up to you, just thought I'd let you readers know. Anyways, thanks for the reviews and follows/favs, and hope I can get the other chapters up here soon! Stay tuned!**

* * *

Dillon coughed and spluttered as water doused her face. She looked around at her surroundings as she pushed her wet bangs out of her eyes. Sensei Wu stood on her left; Nya was on her right, holding a now-empty bucket.

"Sorry," Nya said, blinking apologetically. Dillon shrugged, as if to say that it was okay.

She was on the floor, still in the bridge. Cole, Kai, and Jay were standing at her feet, looking annoyed, quizzical, and slightly worried. That was when Dillon noticed the arms that were holding her up in a sitting position. She looked over her shoulder and saw Zane smiling at her.

"Hello. I noticed your rapidly increasing heart rate, so I had started over to you and caught you when you collapsed," he explained.

"Yeah. Lucky Zane noticed that and caught you just in time. I was reacting too slow to catch you, and Sensei was just taking a sip of his tea when you fainted," Nya added.

"Uh, Zane? You can probably let go now," Kai pointed out, his expression unreadable.

Zane's arms slid out from under Dillon's, and she sat up on her own.

"So…that's the third time I've fallen unconscious in a five-day period. First time – clubbed by a Serpentine. Second time – hit with a blow dart. Third time – found out I was on a giant flying pirate ship," Dillon said with a small laugh and a smile.

"Why exactly _did_ that cause you to pass out, anyways?" Questioned Kai, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, uh…I, um…I have a…a fear of heights," Dillon admitted, feeling her face heat up.

Jay, Kai, and Cole burst out laughing, then tried – unsuccessfully – to stifle their snickers.

"What is so funny?" Asked Zane, who was still sitting behind Dillon, a puzzled look on his face.

"My thoughts exactly, Zane," Sensei said, his brows furrowed. "Everyone has a fear of something – I do not see how or why that is amusing."

The laughter died, and the ninja straightened their faces. "Yes, Sensei. Sorry, Sensei," said the three in unison, bowing slightly.

"It is not I you should be apologizing to," Wu told them with a gesture of his hand to Dillon.

"Sorry," they all muttered, and Dillon felt embarrassed both for herself and for the trio.

"It's okay. I get that reaction a lot," Dillon said, standing up. "Really, don't sweat it."

Zane also stood back up, and a moment of tense silence follow.

"So…it's been five days, huh?" Dillon broke the awkward silence.

"Yes. I have heard the ninja's side of the story. I now wish to hear yours. We can talk in the kitchen. That way, we can all sit down, and hopefully have no more accidents," Wu said with a smile and a wink. Dillon smiled back, and the seven of them followed Wu to the dining room.

As they were all making their way through the hall, Dillon thought she saw someone move in the shadows inside one of the rooms they passed, but it disappeared before she could look closer.

Dillon shrugged, and she walked into a small room behind Jay and Wu. There was a long, rectangular table with seven chairs, and the far wall led off to presumably the kitchen. They all sat down at the table and looked over at Dillon, who took a seat between Nya and Kai.

She cleared her throat before she began. "Well, it all started when I decided to take a shortcut home…"


	8. Chapter 8

"And so I just thought, ' _Well, I have to do something,'_ so I leapt into the dart's path, felt it go through my shirt, and then I blacked out." Dillon finished her story.

"Thank you, Dillon. That was very brave of you – had you not done something, who knows what Pythor would have done. The ninja may very well owe you their lives," Wu told Dillon. She smiled, but it was short-lived as the sensei added, "However, I must reprimand you for going after the Serpentine alone. It took courage, but it was foolish. Next time, I trust you'll be more careful."

Dillon nodded, her smile gone.

Wu continued. "Now, back to when you discovered the Serpentine's lair. When Pythor spotted you, were you in the shadows?"

Dillon though for a second. "No, actually. There were torches just above the crack I going for, but I took the risk anyways because I needed to hear what Pythor and them were talking about."

"Ah. As I suspected. Dillon, have you ever been able to do things others can't at night, or in the shadows?"

"Well…I've always been able to see in the dark better than others, and when I was little I was pretty good at hide-and-go-seek and night games and stuff. And I've always felt comfortable in the dark." She replied slowly.

"Dillon, there is something special about you," Wu told her when she had finished.

"Oh. Um, thanks?"

"Your welcome. But that is not exactly what I meant. What I mean is -"

Everyone was looking from Wu to Dillon, their eyes darting back and forth.

"- you are the elemental master of shadow."

* * *

"Her breathing is accelerating rapidly. Should I get behind her again?" Zane asked Sensei Wu.

"No...no. I'm good…I won't faint…again," she said between large gulps of air. At last, she got her breathing under control, and she leaned heavily against the back of her chair. "Okay. I'm good."

"Good, because your training begins tomorrow," Wu told her, standing up.

"Training?" She asked.

"Training," Sensei Wu repeated. "If you are to become the Shadow Ninja, then we must begin your training immediately."

 _No. Way_. She thought. _I'm going to train to become a ninja! This is way cool!_

"Okay, great. What time do we start? Seven? Six?" She guessed, standing up.

"Try five o'clock. Sharp. Meet us out on the deck." With that, Sensei Wu left, shutting the door closed behind him.

"Well, I suppose we should head off to bed. We've all got a big day ahead of us," Nya said as she stood up. Everyone else did so as well, and Dillon watched them all head out and go to their room.

"Um…" Dillon started, but Nya seemed to know what she was going to say next.

"Don't worry, you can sleep in my room. Ooh, I'm so excited! Finally, another girl! You have _no_ idea what it's like to be the only female around those four." Dillon followed Nya back to the room that she had first been placed in. Except, this time, there was a mat and a pillow placed on the floor that was topped with a white blanket.

"You can have the bed – I'll take the floor," Nya offered.

"Oh, you don't have to do that. I'm perfectly fine taking the mat – really, you can keep your bed," Dillon protested.

"Are you sure? You're the guest here," Nya said. Dillon nodded earnestly, so Nya shrugged. "Okay, suit yourself. Speaking of which, you're probably wanting a change of clothes. Am I right?"

Dillon nodded once more. She had been in the same outfit for almost over five days straight. Not to mention that they were still a little soggy from earlier.

"Yes, please," Dillon said with a smile. Nya smiled back and walked over to her dresser. She pulled out two nightgowns, holding one out to Dillon.

"Oh…" Dillon said once she saw the gown. "You don't…happen to have anything with legs? Or sleeves?"

"Sorry. I only have dresses and gowns and skirts and stuff," Nya apologized.

"Oh, no, it's okay. It's my fault for being picky," Dillon reassured her.

"I can go see if any of the boys have extras," Nya offered.

"That'd be great, actually. Lead the way," Dillon opened the door and waited for Nya to exit before going out. Nya led her down the hallways and knocked on a door.

"It's Nya," she hollered through the wood.

"Come in!" Came Cole's voice, and Nya opened the door. They walked in, and Dillon looked around. Two bunkbeds filled most of the space, as well as a few dressers. Jay was already in bed, just barely pulling his blankets up. Kai was brushing his teeth, and Cole and Zane had been talking before Nya and Dillon had entered. All of them were in their pajamas.

"What's up?" Cole asked, as Jay went, "Oh-ho! Nya! How are you? Whatcha doing here at this late hour?"

"Hey, Jay," said Nya with a slight wave before turning back to Cole. As she did so, she didn't see Jay's face light up, turn bright red, and plop down heavily on his pillow.

Nya explained why they were there, and Cole nodded.

"All of mine are in the wash, except the one I'm wearing, of course," Cole told them. "Anyone else got any spares?"

Jay was too far out in la la land to respond, Kai had disappeared while Cole and Nya were talking, but Zane said, "I have a few extras you are welcome to borrow until you get your own." He walked over to one of the dressers and pulled out one of the drawers.

"Are you sure, Zane? You already lent us a blanket," Nya pointed out.

"Quite positive. I do not mind helping out a fellow ninja," Zane responded with a smile.

"Oh, I'm no ninja. Trust me," Dillon replied modestly.

"You are now." Zane put the white pj's in her arms. "Welcome to the team."

She couldn't help herself – that smile was just so warm and kind. She grinned back and followed Nya out into the hallway. As soon as the door closed, she heard talking break out.

"Oh, wait! I forgot to say thank you!" Dillon told Nya. She turned around and went back into the room. She opened the door and saw Zane in the same place, but Cole was doubled over laughing, and Jay was saying, "Looks like someone's got a _girlfriend_!"

Dillon pretended not to hear them as she said, "I just wanted to say thanks, Zane," and left.

* * *

Dillon pulled the covers up and over her shoulder. Zane's pajamas were surprisingly comfortable. She closed her eyes, but heard Nya say something to her.

"What?" Dillon asked, opening her eyes and sitting back up.

"I was just saying goodnight and welcoming you one last time to the team." Nya replied.

"Oh, thanks. And good night," Dillon said with a yawn.

"Yep, no problem. But we should really get to sleep now – we're gonna need all of our energy tomorrow."

"Wow, is Sensei's training program super difficult, or what?" Dillon asked.

"Oh, no. Not really, anyways. We're approaching a giant cumulonimbus cloud, and we'll reach it by tomorrow morning. Sensei is wanting to test our balance if the storm isn't too awful."

"You mean…we'll be flying _through_ a thunderhead?" Dillon's heart stopped.

"Oh, yeah, you're afraid of heights, huh? Yep, Sensei told me to direct our course straight towards it. Sorry – I'm sure he forgot about your fear. I sure did."

"No, it's…it's okay. I…I can do it," Dillon said stubbornly, determination making her brows furrow.

"Great! And remember – don't forget to ask for help if you need it. I'm here if you need it. It's great to have you here, Dillon." With that, Nya lay down and closed her eyes.

Dillon did the same, rolling over onto her side. She took a deep breath, trying to push away the panic that was threatening to take over. Thanks to the eventful and confusing past hours, her mind and body were both exhausted, and it didn't take long before the darkness took over and she sunk off to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Bright light suddenly filled Dillon's vision. Her eyes snapped open and she saw Sensei Wu standing in the doorway, his hand on the light switch. It was the first time she had seen the old man since the previous night.

 _The night I found out that I have elemental powers_ , she thought.

"Urgh. What time is it?" Dillon asked groggily. She could tell that it was still dark outside.

"It is time to get up. Everyone else is waiting out on the deck. And it is currently 4:50." Sensei Wu left, shutting the door closed as he exited.

Dillon stood up, folded up the white blanket, set it on the mat, and realized she had nothing to change in to.

"Well, guess I'll just have to wear these," she muttered as she walked out the door. Zane's pajamas were about two sizes too big, and she had had to keep her shirt on since the neck went so low. But Dillon didn't mind, nor was she going to complain. Zane had been kind in being willing to share his clothes with a complete stranger.

Just then, the _Bounty_ shuddered, and Dillon wobbled on her feet. She pressed her back against the wall, spreading her feet apart to keep herself steady.

"Right. The storm. You can do this." She told herself. Slowly, carefully, Dillon made her way to the deck. She stopped at the door to give herself one last pep talk.

 _It's okay_ , she thought as nausea hit her. _You_ can _do this. Don't show your weaknesses. You wanted a more exciting life – well, here you go._

Taking a deep breath, Dillon opened the door. She took one step forward and heard the door swing shut behind her.

Outside, the storm was raging at full blast. The wind was howling, hail was pelting down, and thunder was booming loudly.

It seemed that the storm was too bad for training, after all – the ninja were doing all they could to keep the _Bounty_ in the air and on course. Kai, Zane, and Cole were trying to control the mast, Jay was hanging on to the side rail for dear life, and Nya could be spotted at the steering wheel inside the bridge with Sensei Wu.

"Keep it steady!" Hollered Cole over the wind. "Don't let it get ripped off!"

"Well, it would be a whole lot _easier_ if _Jay_ was helping!" Retorted Kai, shooting Jay a nasty look as he tried to keep his feet planted on the ground.

"I'm sorry!" Jay shouted back. "I didn't know that it would take FOUR ninja to hold a sail straight!"

"Well, it does!"

"Oh, really, now?!"

"Stop!" Dillon shouted, surprising herself as the yell escaped her mouth. The two stopped bickering and the four of them looked over at her in surprise. "Just, stop fighting!" Dillon told them after she had come to her senses. "Oh, I can't believe I'm doing this," she muttered.

Bracing herself, Dillon took a step forward. Immediately, the wind tried to rip her off the deck, and the hail pummeled mercilessly onto her. She put her arms out to either side to steady herself, bent her head down to keep the precipitation out of her face, and walked towards the mast. The red, white, and black ninja had turned their attention back to keeping the sail attached to the _Destiny's Bounty_. Dillon reached forward and caught hold of one of the ropes. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Kai behind her, his brows furrowed deeply, his face full of concentration and determination.

Dillon turned her attention back to keeping her feet on the floor and the rope in her hand. The wind tugged and jerked at the sail, making Dillon's arms soon grow weary.

But she held on, even as the hail rained down, the thunder roared on, and the lightning crackled dangerously close.

* * *

Hours later, the storm had lessened, and Nya had announced over the speakers that they had successfully passed through the thunderhead. At hearing the news, Dillon and the ninja had all sighed in relief and headed inside to the bridge.

"Finally," said a sodden Jay. "I thought we'd never get out of there – or end up as lightning toast or ground pancakes."

"Pffft. You didn't even help. You just hung onto the rail the whole time," a sopping Kai pointed out.

"I'm just glad to be unharmed. The chances of us surviving that seemed very low," commented a soaking Zane.

"Well, if I'm being completely honest here, we wouldn't have done it without Dillon here," a soggy Cole told them, elbowing Dillon teasingly and ruffling her wet hair. "Thanks for the help, kiddo."

Dillon shoved Cole away playfully and put her hands on her hips. "'Kiddo'? Really? You _do_ realize we're the same age, right?" She asked him. "Seriously, I do request that you stop calling me a kid." Looking down at herself, she said, "Uh, Zane? You might want to wash these pj's. They're just a _little_ wet." She stuck out her arms and watched water drip off them and onto the wooden floor.

Sensei Wu and Nya walked over to them.

"Yes. It is about time that you all changed into dry clothes so that we can begin training. We have already been enough delayed," the aged man said.

The four guys groaned at the thought of training after what had just happened.

"Aww, man! Don't we get a break? My arms are dead!" Jay complained.

"You think _your_ arms are dead? You try holding a sail straight through that!" Kai said pointedly.

"Actually, none of our arms are dead, otherwise our limbs would not be functional; the skin would be blue or black, and would peel off; there could be blisters, that could ooze blood or pus -"

"OKAY, I think we've heard enough," Nya told Zane, cutting him off.

"Um…I hate to be a bother, but…" Dillon started. "I don't have any clothes besides these and the outfit I wore for five days straight."

"You could borrow mine," offered Zane. "I believe I still have my suit that was stained pink from Lloyd."

"No offense, but I kind of really a lot hate the color pink. And I've already used enough stuff of yours already," Dillon informed him.

"You could use one of mine," Kai said. Everyone looked over at him in shock, and he said, "What? You guys don't think I could _share_ something with someone?"

"Honestly? No," Jay replied, and he ducked to avoid getting clubbed in the head by Kai's fist.

"Great, thanks Kai! You know, my favorite color has always been red – well, technically maroon, but that's basically the same thing." Dillon stated.

"There is no need, although it would be a change for Kai to do something nice for someone," Wu told them, ignoring Kai's scowl. "Wait right here." The bearded man disappeared down the hall for a few moments before he returned, a package in his hands. He held it out to Dillon, who looked at it in puzzlement.

"What's that?" She asked him.

"Your suit. Every good ninja must have a proper gi."

"My suit? How do you already have one for me?" Dillon wondered, shocked.

He chuckled. "A sensei never gives away all his secrets."

"W-wow. Thanks, Sensei! I can call you that, right?"

"Of course. You are, of course, my newest student. Now, all of you, go change into dry clothes, and we will begin your lesson. Chop, chop!"

The five of them ran back to their rooms. Dillon closed the door behind her, locked it, and plopped down onto the bed. She tore open the packaging and studied her new gi. After a few seconds of admiring it, she remembered that she was wet, so she got off of Nya's bed and quickly changed.

As she finished tying the belt, she looked down at herself. The gi was royal purple, deep as midnight. Armor padding covered her right side and arm, wrapping all the way to the back and ending halfway across her front. The padding had tiny holes were most likely there to allow flexibility, and Dillon had stuck two small blades and a sai into the sash that ran across her stomach (she had found them hidden in the enfolds of her gi). Beneath her gi was a gray undershirt that was visible just below neck. Dark gray armor topped her shoulders, and when she pulled the mask over her face, the same armor was just above her eyes. On her back was a dragon head encircled by the same charcoal-colored metal on her shoulders and forehead. _Most likely to hold a weapon, I'd presume_ , Dillon thought. She snorted. _Hmmm. A little ironic that I was just making fun of a certain Serpentine for having purple scales, and I end up with a purple gi. Talk about karma_.

She ran back to the door that led to the deck and stopped. She mentally prepared herself, then stepped out. She saw the four ninja already training, locked in combat with each other. Kai was battling Jay, while Cole was facing off with Zane. They paused when they saw her emerge, and Sensei nodded at her approvingly.

Dillon tried to walk with swagger, attempting to impress the others, but almost slipped on a puddle on her way over.

"It suits you," Wu said, and Dillon felt her face flush.

"Thank you, Sensei," she said, putting one fist into the other hand and bowing deeply.

"So, who will I battle first? Jay? Kai?" She asked as she straightened back up.

"No."

She blinked at the blunt answer, and Wu continued, "Today, you will complete this obstacle course. If you complete it before I finish my tea, you pass. If not, you fail."

"Uh, what obstacle course?" Dillon asked just as the wooden deck parted. From below, up came an obstacle course, and Dillon blinked in shock. The four ninja in combat didn't even seem to notice the course as it came basically out of nowhere.

Sensei Wu sat down on a mat and pulled a teapot and cup out of nowhere. As Dillon was trying to figure how he got the course to appear and where he got the tea, Wu lifted the teacup to his mouth and quickly sipped the herbal elixir.

He set the cup down as he finished. "Today, you fail. Tomorrow, you will try again."

Dillon blinked, flustered. "Wait, what?! That's it?!" She asked in bewilderment.

"Each day you have one chance to pass to show that you have what it takes to be a ninja. Today you failed. Tomorrow is a new day, and you will try again." Sensei stood up and left, leaving behind a very confused and addled Dillon behind.

She heard footsteps behind her and turned around. She saw the four ninja approaching her and put her hands on her hips.

"Did he do that with you four, too?" She queried.

"Yep. It's actually pretty meaningful," Kai replied. "I probably shouldn't say why, though. Sensei will want you to figure it out on your own."

"Yes. But it is not that difficult. I would recommend that you practice on the course whenever you can. Sensei Wu loves his tea, and intakes it quite swiftly," Zane stated.

"Meh. I got through it pretty quickly. Kai, I think, took the longest," piped Jay, who dodged a kick from an angry fire ninja.

"True, but it was he who had the brilliance to knock Sensei's cup out of his hand with his sword," pointed out Zane, and Kai glared at Jay, a pleased smile on his face.

"Either way, you're going to need luck. And skill. If Sensei's recruiting you, it's for a good reason," Cole declared. "And I don't think that we should give you anymore tips – Sensei wants you to pass this test on your own, just like the rest of us."

Dillon nodded in understanding. She looked back at the course and took a deep breath.

"Well, I guess I had better started, then."

* * *

 _Hey, guys! Hope you liked this chapter! I will try to update the next one soon. Also, I am going on vacation for a couple weeks, so I won't be updating for a little while._

 _I will also be posting a picture of Dillon in her gi as the cover, so you can all see what she and her suit look like! Thanks again for reading and reviewing! Have an awesome day!_


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